Vacuum cleaning implement



Feb. 7, 1939. E. w. POWELL VACUUM CLEANING IMPLEMENT Origir'zal Filed Ded. 31, 1935' 3mm ZZA/PbweZZ Patented Feb. 7, 1939 ENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANING IMPLEIVIENT Elsa W. Powell,

Indianap olis, Ind.

Original application December 31, 1935, Serial No. 57,025. Divided and this application November 10, 1936, Serial No. 110,172

1 claim.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaning devices and particularly to a vacuum cleaning head.

The general object of the invention is to provide an implement of this character including a a handle and a vacuum cleaning head, the head being mounted upon the handle for oscillation in a plane parallel to the plane of the handle through an arc of a circle and the head and handle being provided with means whereby the head may be held in any adjusted position.

Another object is to provide a device ofthis character which is particularly adapted for use in a variety of situations because of the fact that the head is oscillatable upon the handle, thus permitting the handle to be disposed either in the same plane as the head or in any desired angular relation thereto, so that the implement may be used beneath low articles of furniture, on walls, ceilings or in places which are otherwise hard to get at with the ordinary vacuum head.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the connection between the handle and the head is very simple and yet airtight.

This application is a division of my application for patent on Vacuum cleaning systems, filed on December 31, 1935, Ser. No. 57,025. 1

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a diagrammatic sectional View lit] showing one manner in which my vacuum cleaning implement may be connected up in a vacuum cleaning system.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the cleaning head and a portion of the handle.

Figure 3 is a section on theline 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a like view to Figure 3 but showing the handle as disposed at an inclination to a horizontal. plane or at an angle of approximately 130 to the plane of the mouth of the head.

Figure 5 is a like view to Figure 4 but showing the handledisposed at an angle of 180 to the mouth.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section on the line ii-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the vacuum head itself designated I is elongated and is somewhat elliptical in plan view. This head is formed with an arcuate slot I I on its rear face. On its underface, the head has the downwardly and slightly inwardly extending walls I2 defining between them the mouth I3. These walls I2 at their lower ends are slightly flanged outwardly.

Oscillatably disposed within the slot II is the tubular handle I4 which extends through this slot and at its inner end is formed with atransversely arcuate but longitudinally elongated flange I which fits snugly against the transverse arcuate or concave inner face of the head Attached to the inner face of the head Ill on each side of the slot I I, as shown in Figure 6, are the arcuate or semi-cylindrical collars I6. These collars I 6 are each outwardly expanded at its outer end and these outwardly expanded portions H are welded or otherwise attached to the inner face of the head so that the body of each collar I6 inward of the portion I1 is spaced from the. wall of the head I0 to receive the lateral marginal portions of the flange I5. For the purpose of holding the collarsIB in snug engagement with 20 this. flange I5, I provide the binding screws IB. which extend through the wall of the head ID, as shown in Figure 6, and are either attached to the collars I6 or are provided as shown, with heads I9 bearing against the inner faces of the collars. The screws I8 extend through the wall of the head II] just outward of the ends of the flange I5 and are provided on the exterior of the head with the nuts 20.

The construction which I have described permits the handle I 4 to be turned to any desired angle to a plane extending through the head at right angles to the mouth I3 thereof or into a position where the handle is disposed within this plane, as shown in Figure 5. The handle is, therefore, shiftable into any desired angular position with the head so that the head may be used, as shown in Figure 1, with the handle so disposed that the head and handle may be forced beneath very low articles of furniture or the head may be disposed at the other extreme, as shown in Figure 5. Thus the head is adapted to be used for cleaning ceilings, walls, floors, and because of the adjustability of the handle, may be used wherever the ordinary vacuum head is difiicult to manipulate.

Furthermore, it is to be particularly noted that the head IE1 and the handle I 4 are held rigidly in their adjusted positions by means of the nuts 20 and screws I8, so that the head cannot oscillate upon the flange I5 and get out of the correct head l0 may readily be constructed in two sections inserted over the ends of the plate l5 and afterwards welded, brazed or otherwise connected to each other. A line indicating the joint between the two sections and this welding is designated 2| in Fig. 2. However, it is to be understood that this is purely illustrative and the head l0 might be formed in two longitudinal sections welded to each other or with a section initially separate from the body of the head III which will permit the insertion of the plate l5, and then this other section might be welded or otherwise attached to the head.

It will be seen that I have provided a construction which does away with the necessity of packing rings, stufiing boxes or the like, and thus may be very cheaply made. Of course, as is obvious, the head itself might be differently formed for different purposes as are the heads of the usual vacuum cleaners, without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:-

A vacuum cleaning implement, including a 1ongitudinally elongated hollow head having a transversely curved outer wall, the wall being arcuately slotted, a tubular handle extending into said slot and having a laterally extending flange at right angles to the handle, extending in opposite directions and which is transversely curved to fit snugly against the inner face of the head, laterally disposed transversely arcuate collars attached to the inner face of the head on each side of the slot, each collar having a body portion spaced adjacent the slot from the inner face of the head to receive between it and the said face of the head an end portion of the handle flange, binding screws engaged with the body portions of the collars and extending across the adjacent end edges of the flange, said screws pasr ing through the head, and binding nuts disposed upon the exterior ends of said screws, said nuts when threaded up on the screws compressing the collars against the handle flange to secure the handle in a fixed position relative to the head.

ELZA W. POWELL. 

